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Flag of Guinea

The flag of Guinea has a great deal in common with the flags of the nations that surround it, which is a sign of their shared heritage and history. The simple design of the Guinea flag combines elements that represent the land and people of Africa with elements that represent its history as a colony of the French Empire, which makes the flag a potent symbol of the nation itself as well as a symbol of its unity with the rest of Africa.

• Capital of Guinea: Conakry
• Area of Guinea: 245,857 sq. km
• Languages used in Guinea: French (official), many ethnic languages
• Religions in Guinea: Muslim, Christian, indigenous beliefs

Colors and Symbolism of the Flag of Guinea

The Guinea flag is a vertical tricolor flag of red, yellow, and green with proportions of 2:3. The three vertical stripes are most likely derived from the three vertical stripes of the French flag, which means that the arrangement of colors represents Guinea's time as a colony of France. The three colors come from the flag of the Pan-African movement, so their use represents the nation's solidarity with its neighbors in Africa. It bears a particularly strong resemblance to the flag of Ghana, which was a major influence when the flag was being designed, as well as that of the nearby nation of Mali.

The red stripe on the flag represents the nation's martyrs, both those that died during the nation's struggle for independence and those who died as part of the African slave trade in the past. The yellow stripe symbolizes the nation's wealth as well as the sun that shines down upon the nation and its people. The green stripe represents the country's plant life and natural wonders.

History of the Guinea Flag

The French flag represented Guinea when it was part of the French Empire, but it fell out of use when the country gained its independence. The first unique flag of Guinea was adopted in 1958. The flag's design was inspired by the flag of the Rassemblement Démocratique Africain, which was a major political movement at the time of independence. The flag was also based on the flag of Ghana, most likely due to the close personal ties between the first president of Ghana and the first president of Guinea. The flag has not been changed since Guinea first adopted it, which makes it one of the oldest and most stable flag designs in all of Africa.